Magistrate fails to record statement in Naqeebullah murder case

A judicial magistrate on Saturday failed to record his statement before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in the Naqeebullah murder case, stating that he was not prepared to do so.

The magistrate was supposed to give his testimony in the murder trial. He, however, declined to do so after he entered the witness box.

Amir Mansoob Qureshi, the counsel for former Malir SP Rao Anwar who is one of the suspects in the case, objected to the magistrate’s action, saying that the witness had declined to proceed after taking an oath.

Anwar’s lawyer argued that the witness should record his statement even if he wanted to read it from a paper. The ATC-III judge, however, remarked that the witness should take his time and appear in court again with due preparation. He was summoned in court again on May 28.

Anwar and 22 other retired and serving policemen face trial for killing a 27-year-old man, Naseemullah Mehsud, alias Naqeebullah Mehsud, in a fake encounter and foisting bogus terrorism cases on him.

On the previous hearing, the ATC had ordered the police to provide security to Naqeebullah’s father Khan Muhammad, who is the complainant in the case, and his counsel Salahuddin Panhwar as they claimed that they were receiving threats against pursuing the case.

According to the prosecution, Naqeebullah was killed along with three others, Sabir, Nazar Jan and Ishaq, in a fake encounter in Shah Latif Town on January 13, 2018.

Twenty-three policemen have been booked for the murder of Naqeebullah. Of these five, including Anwar Ahmed Khan, aka Rao Anwar, Qamar Ahmed Shaikh, Muhammad Yaseen, Supurd Hussain and Khizar Hayat are on bail. Thirteen, including Allah Yar Kaka, Muhammad Iqbal, Arshad Ali, Ghulam Nazuk, Abdul Ali, Shafiq Ahmed, Shakeel, Muhammad Anar, Khair Muhammad, Faisal Mehmood, Ali Akbar, Raees and Syed Imran Kazmi, are in custody; whereas, seven, including Amanullah Marwat, Shaikh Muhammad Shoaib, Gada Hussain, Mohsin Abbas, Sadaqat Hussain Shah, Rana Shamim and Riaz, are absconding.

According to police findings, Naqeebullah and his friends Hazrat Ali and Qasim were picked up by the police on January 4 last year from a teashop, Sher Agha Hotel, on Abul Hassan Ispahani Road. They were kept in illegal confinement and badly tortured. Ali and Qasim were released two days later while Naqeebullah was killed in a fake police encounter.